Brad Seely heads 49ers’ top notch special teams

A few days into training camp, 49ers long snapper Brian Jennings had a nickname for his new special teams coordinator Brad Seely: The Professor.

It wasn’t just Seely’s glasses and close-cropped hair – he really could be grading papers instead of game film – it was also his coaching style.

Or, rather, his teaching style.

Plenty of football coaches move players with their emotion. Seely, often described as a tactician, moves players like they are chess pieces.

“He’s coaching, really, he’s teaching Special Teams 570,” Jennings said. “It’s graduate-level stuff. And he’s definitely got tenure … I would say he’s very unique in that he just tells us what to do. He’s not cussing guys out and breaking stuff. Some guys, for kickoffs, they’ll show videos of car crashes and stuff. He just tells you what to do. And shows you how to do it.”

Six games into their first season under Seely’s guidance, the Niners’ special teams are receiving high marks entering Sunday’s game against the visiting Browns, whose special teams Seely, 54, oversaw the past two seasons before a new head coach arrived.

And, perhaps, the Browns’ messy special-teams situation best illustrates the influence of Seely, a 23-year NFL veteran who owns three Super Bowl rings from his 10 seasons with the Patriots and has collected two Special Teams Coach of the Year awards.

Under Seely’s guidance, the Browns were one of four NFL teams to not allow a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown in 2009-10. They also led the NFL in kickoff-return coverage and ranked fourth in punt-return coverage during that span.

This season? In their past two games, Cleveland has had two field goals blocked, allowed a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and surrendered a touchdown on a fake field goal.

The series of gaffes has prompted Browns coach Pat Shurmur to make personnel changes this week while Seely’s replacement, Chris Tabor, has been asked about the big shoes he’s attempting to fill.

Luckily for the Browns, they get to study Seely-coached units this week, said Cleveland wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs.

“Even looking at their film now, we can look at San Fran and coach ourselves off of them because Seely was such a great coach,” Cribbs said.

On film, the Browns will see a team that leads the NFL in kickoff-return average (30.9) and in punt returns of 20 or more yards (7). The Niners have also started an NFL-best 15 drives in opponents’ territory, a number that’s partly attributable to their strong special-teams play.

For his part, Seely says “good players make good coaches.” And his units are dotted with stars in placekicker David Akers (five Pro Bowls), two-time Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee (second in the NFL with a 50.5 average, and tied for the lead in net average) and returner Ted Ginn, who ranks second in the NFL in kickoff returns (31.8) and fifth in punt returns (13.7).

In addition, the 49ers have made a front-office commitment to special teams, bringing in players such as linebackers Blake Costanzo and Tavares Gooden whose sole responsibility has been to play on kick coverage units.

“I think it’s real important,” Seely said. “I think everybody has to be on the same page. If you want to be good on special teams, there’s got to be a commitment from the head coach and the personnel people that you’re going to have those kinds of players.”

The special teams units aren’t Seely’s only domain. He is also the assistant head coach, and his boss, Jim Harbaugh, routinely confers with him during games to discuss in-game strategy and clock management.

Harbaugh says he’s learned plenty from The Professor.

“Oh yeah, leaning on him,” Harbaugh said. “Like Abraham leaning on his staff. … In-game and during the week, during preparations, there’s so many times that I just go into his office and pull up a chair and we talk. Sometimes even put the feet up on the desk and talk, and hash things out and bat things around. He’s a tremendous resource.”

Week 1

With the Niners clinging to a 19-17 fourth-quarter lead, Ted Ginn, below, has a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 55-yard punt return for a score to seal a 33-17 win against the Seahawks.

Week 3

Leading the Bengals 10-6 with 2:21 left, David Akers drills a 53-yard field goal. If Akers had missed, Cincinnati would have taken possession at their own 43-yard line. Instead, the Bengals begin at their own 17 in a 13-8 loss.

Week 5

Thanks, in part, to five touchbacks by Akers, below, the Buccaneers’ average starting position is their own 18-yard line in the 49ers’ 48-3 win.

Week 6

Andy Lee drops four punts inside the 20-yard line, forcing the Lions to start at their 11-, 9-, 9- and 8-yard line on four of their final 10 drives. The drive that starts at the 11 ends in a safety.

With the 49ers trailing 19-15, Ginn returns a punt 40 yards to set up a 35-yard game-winning drive capped by Alex Smith’s 6-yard pass to Delanie Walker.